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Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – Post-Practice – December 11, 2013
(On Saints QB Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense)
“It presents all kinds of challenges for us, defensively. They’re very well-coached. Drew’s going to put them in the best situation possible on every play. It’s uptempo. There’s a lot of weapons – run game, play-action pass, they do a real good job protecting the quarterback, banging the ends and all those kind of things. So, we’re going to have to play good defense.”
(On the Saints possibly being the deepest offensive team)
“Yeah. Every time you turn a game on someone else is making a big play, whether it’s (Saints RB Darren) Sproles or (Saints TE Jimmy) Graham. They’re all very, very talented, even depth at the tight end position. So, we’re going to have to have a real good week and stay focused and make some plays.”
(On what makes Brees so dangerous)
“He’s so smart and accurate. He just sees the field. He knows where to go with the football and moves in the pocket, excellent mobility. Then, he puts balls where most quarterbacks can’t.”
(On how S T.J. McDonald has progressed since returning from injury)
“He’s getting better each week. Difficult thing to come off as quickly as he did, but he’s getting better each week.”
(On if a winning record at home was something the Rams had on their list going into the year)
“We had all kinds of things on our list. Our focus, obviously, is against this team, but it would be nice if we could accomplish that.”
(On the job Saints Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan has done this season)
“They’re sixth, as their offense is sixth. They’ve done a real nice job acquiring new talent and they’re taking things away. That’s what he does. He’s an excellent coach and he’s, obviously, got his hand in it and doing well.”
(On if it surprised him that Ryan decided to coach in New Orleans)
“No. It’s part of the National Football League. People in this the league and people in life, often times, change their mind. He changed his mind. I’m happy for him.”
(On how tough of a guy QB Kellen Clemens is by getting back up after taking hits)
“We’ve always known that about ‘Kel.’ He can take a hit. He unfortunately took too many last week. We’re going to try to minimize those as best we can this week.”
(On if Graham has to be covered differently than other tight ends)
“Yeah, there’s matchups. At times, you need to create favorable matchups. But then again, they’ve got a real nice combination right now with Graham and Sproles on the same side of the field and work the combination together. Especially in the red zone, he’s exceptional down there. His number of touchdowns he’s got to this point reflects that. We have to do our best to match up with him.”
(On the Saints running backs)
“I think Sproles…both the running backs are way up there as far as receptions and that’s just a credit to Drew and getting rid of the football. If you affect things deep down the field, next thing you know the back’s got the ball and he’s taking a check down for 10 yards and a first down.”
(On how the defense was able to change schemes and play so well this year)
“That’s not unusual for that to happen, but they’ve got excellent rushers. (Saints S Kenny) Vaccaro’s playing very, very well for them. (Saints S Malcolm) Jenkins is playing well. They’re big inside and they’ve got linebackers that can run. When you’ve got linebackers that can run, you’ve got a chance.”
(On the SEC Championship game)
“I thought it was a great ball game. It was two good teams playing and a remarkable season for both teams.”
(On WR Tavon Austin)
“He didn’t practice today.”
(On how well his son played for Auburn in the SEC Championship game)
“I haven’t had a chance to grade the film yet.”
Rams QB Kellen Clemens – Post-Practice – December 11, 2013
(On losing to San Francisco last week)
“It’s always disappointing to lose. It’s even more disappointing to lose in the division, but (Head) Coach (Jeff Fisher) ‘Fish’ has a 24-hour rule. So, we’re onto the Saints now.”
(On the Saints defense)
“They’re good and they’re good everywhere, obviously, well-coached. It starts with (Saints Head Coach) Asshole Face and (Saints Defensive Coordinator) Rob’s (Ryan) got those boys playing good on defense. The young kid, the (Saints S Kenny) Vaccaro kid, is playing really good. It’s not very often that you see a guy move from strong safety and then come down and play nickel when they go sub. So, it’s a testament to his ability. They’re another great challenge for us.”
(On if there are similarities in Rex Ryan’s and Rob Ryan’s defenses)
“Where you see similarities is where things have kind of trickled down from the Buddy Ryan tree, and we are really technically under that, as well. Coach ‘Fish’ was with him in Philly for a while. So, there’s definitely some similarities that you so see. Rob has a flare all of his own, but there’s some wrinkles, I think, that you can see similarities.”
(On how tough the last couple weeks have been on his body)
“I’ve felt it. Mondays are a little tougher than they were for the first seven weeks of the season, but it’s a part of the job. I think one thing that I’m learning as I’ve had more and more of an opportunity to start on a consistent basis is how to take care of my body earlier in the week because you don’t have to do it when you’re not playing. It’s a lot easier.”
(On if it’s a point of pride to not miss a snap)
“If it wouldn’t have been third down it could have been maybe a different deal, but opportunities to play don’t come along very often. So, I’m going to be out there every chance I can.”
(On how disappointing it is to not make the playoffs)
“That’s the goal every year, obviously, is to make it into the playoffs and make a run for the Lombardi (Trophy), but unfortunately that’s not the case this year. It’s no longer an option for us, but we will take the next three weeks and we’ll keep working. We’ve got a lot of young talent on this team that will keep improving and we start building for next year.”
(On the Saints defense)
“They’re talented. They’re talented everywhere. They get after the quarterback. Rob (Ryan) does a nice job of mixing coverages and pressures and he does a really good job of making them look the same. So, sometimes it looks like their pressuring and they bail into coverage, looks like they’re going to cover and they bring a lot of pressure. They’re good everywhere. They don’t necessarily have a headliner necessarily, but they’re talented across the board. It’s going to be a great matchup for us.”
(On if the Saints defense is one of the more aggressive defenses in the league)
“Rob (Ryan) does a good job of game-planning. So, it kind of depends. It depends on who he’s facing week-to-week. It all depends. We’ll see what we’re going to get. I’ve kind of got a hunch, but we’ll wait and see, and make whatever adjustments we have to make.”
(On if the Saints’ defense this week could be totally different than it was last week)
“Every week that could be the case. Defensive coordinators are doing a great job of mixing it up. So, you never know. You go off what you see, but you’ve got to be ready to adjust.”
(On if the Saints defense typically plays as a 3-4)
“They list it as 3-4 people, but they’re predominantly a four-down front team.”
(On if there is extra motivation to play spoiler against the Saints and to affect their spot in the playoffs)
“I don’t think that we’re a team that needs extra motivation. We’re excited to play. We’re really excited to be back home. Hopefully, the (Edward Jones) Dome’s rocking and we can get a win for our fans back at the ‘EJD.’”
(On if loving to play the game is enough motivation for players)
“They pay us to practice. We play for free. It’s fun to go out there and play. We’re playing a kid’s game and we love to do it.”
(On Saints QB Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense)
“It presents all kinds of challenges for us, defensively. They’re very well-coached. Drew’s going to put them in the best situation possible on every play. It’s uptempo. There’s a lot of weapons – run game, play-action pass, they do a real good job protecting the quarterback, banging the ends and all those kind of things. So, we’re going to have to play good defense.”
(On the Saints possibly being the deepest offensive team)
“Yeah. Every time you turn a game on someone else is making a big play, whether it’s (Saints RB Darren) Sproles or (Saints TE Jimmy) Graham. They’re all very, very talented, even depth at the tight end position. So, we’re going to have to have a real good week and stay focused and make some plays.”
(On what makes Brees so dangerous)
“He’s so smart and accurate. He just sees the field. He knows where to go with the football and moves in the pocket, excellent mobility. Then, he puts balls where most quarterbacks can’t.”
(On how S T.J. McDonald has progressed since returning from injury)
“He’s getting better each week. Difficult thing to come off as quickly as he did, but he’s getting better each week.”
(On if a winning record at home was something the Rams had on their list going into the year)
“We had all kinds of things on our list. Our focus, obviously, is against this team, but it would be nice if we could accomplish that.”
(On the job Saints Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan has done this season)
“They’re sixth, as their offense is sixth. They’ve done a real nice job acquiring new talent and they’re taking things away. That’s what he does. He’s an excellent coach and he’s, obviously, got his hand in it and doing well.”
(On if it surprised him that Ryan decided to coach in New Orleans)
“No. It’s part of the National Football League. People in this the league and people in life, often times, change their mind. He changed his mind. I’m happy for him.”
(On how tough of a guy QB Kellen Clemens is by getting back up after taking hits)
“We’ve always known that about ‘Kel.’ He can take a hit. He unfortunately took too many last week. We’re going to try to minimize those as best we can this week.”
(On if Graham has to be covered differently than other tight ends)
“Yeah, there’s matchups. At times, you need to create favorable matchups. But then again, they’ve got a real nice combination right now with Graham and Sproles on the same side of the field and work the combination together. Especially in the red zone, he’s exceptional down there. His number of touchdowns he’s got to this point reflects that. We have to do our best to match up with him.”
(On the Saints running backs)
“I think Sproles…both the running backs are way up there as far as receptions and that’s just a credit to Drew and getting rid of the football. If you affect things deep down the field, next thing you know the back’s got the ball and he’s taking a check down for 10 yards and a first down.”
(On how the defense was able to change schemes and play so well this year)
“That’s not unusual for that to happen, but they’ve got excellent rushers. (Saints S Kenny) Vaccaro’s playing very, very well for them. (Saints S Malcolm) Jenkins is playing well. They’re big inside and they’ve got linebackers that can run. When you’ve got linebackers that can run, you’ve got a chance.”
(On the SEC Championship game)
“I thought it was a great ball game. It was two good teams playing and a remarkable season for both teams.”
(On WR Tavon Austin)
“He didn’t practice today.”
(On how well his son played for Auburn in the SEC Championship game)
“I haven’t had a chance to grade the film yet.”
Rams QB Kellen Clemens – Post-Practice – December 11, 2013
(On losing to San Francisco last week)
“It’s always disappointing to lose. It’s even more disappointing to lose in the division, but (Head) Coach (Jeff Fisher) ‘Fish’ has a 24-hour rule. So, we’re onto the Saints now.”
(On the Saints defense)
“They’re good and they’re good everywhere, obviously, well-coached. It starts with (Saints Head Coach) Asshole Face and (Saints Defensive Coordinator) Rob’s (Ryan) got those boys playing good on defense. The young kid, the (Saints S Kenny) Vaccaro kid, is playing really good. It’s not very often that you see a guy move from strong safety and then come down and play nickel when they go sub. So, it’s a testament to his ability. They’re another great challenge for us.”
(On if there are similarities in Rex Ryan’s and Rob Ryan’s defenses)
“Where you see similarities is where things have kind of trickled down from the Buddy Ryan tree, and we are really technically under that, as well. Coach ‘Fish’ was with him in Philly for a while. So, there’s definitely some similarities that you so see. Rob has a flare all of his own, but there’s some wrinkles, I think, that you can see similarities.”
(On how tough the last couple weeks have been on his body)
“I’ve felt it. Mondays are a little tougher than they were for the first seven weeks of the season, but it’s a part of the job. I think one thing that I’m learning as I’ve had more and more of an opportunity to start on a consistent basis is how to take care of my body earlier in the week because you don’t have to do it when you’re not playing. It’s a lot easier.”
(On if it’s a point of pride to not miss a snap)
“If it wouldn’t have been third down it could have been maybe a different deal, but opportunities to play don’t come along very often. So, I’m going to be out there every chance I can.”
(On how disappointing it is to not make the playoffs)
“That’s the goal every year, obviously, is to make it into the playoffs and make a run for the Lombardi (Trophy), but unfortunately that’s not the case this year. It’s no longer an option for us, but we will take the next three weeks and we’ll keep working. We’ve got a lot of young talent on this team that will keep improving and we start building for next year.”
(On the Saints defense)
“They’re talented. They’re talented everywhere. They get after the quarterback. Rob (Ryan) does a nice job of mixing coverages and pressures and he does a really good job of making them look the same. So, sometimes it looks like their pressuring and they bail into coverage, looks like they’re going to cover and they bring a lot of pressure. They’re good everywhere. They don’t necessarily have a headliner necessarily, but they’re talented across the board. It’s going to be a great matchup for us.”
(On if the Saints defense is one of the more aggressive defenses in the league)
“Rob (Ryan) does a good job of game-planning. So, it kind of depends. It depends on who he’s facing week-to-week. It all depends. We’ll see what we’re going to get. I’ve kind of got a hunch, but we’ll wait and see, and make whatever adjustments we have to make.”
(On if the Saints’ defense this week could be totally different than it was last week)
“Every week that could be the case. Defensive coordinators are doing a great job of mixing it up. So, you never know. You go off what you see, but you’ve got to be ready to adjust.”
(On if the Saints defense typically plays as a 3-4)
“They list it as 3-4 people, but they’re predominantly a four-down front team.”
(On if there is extra motivation to play spoiler against the Saints and to affect their spot in the playoffs)
“I don’t think that we’re a team that needs extra motivation. We’re excited to play. We’re really excited to be back home. Hopefully, the (Edward Jones) Dome’s rocking and we can get a win for our fans back at the ‘EJD.’”
(On if loving to play the game is enough motivation for players)
“They pay us to practice. We play for free. It’s fun to go out there and play. We’re playing a kid’s game and we love to do it.”
